DOWN THE CONGO TO THE ATLANTIC. 
459 
darted into view from behind a bush -clump, and shouting 
their war-cries, launched their wooden spears. Some 
of them struck and dinted the boat deeply, others Hew 
over it. We shoved off instantly, and getting into mid- 
stream found that we had heedlessly exposed ourselves 
to the watchful tribe of Mwana Ntaba, who immediately 
sounded their great drums, and prepared their numerous 
canoes for battle. 
Up to this time we had met with no canoes over fifty 
feet long, except that antique century-old vessel which 
we had repaired as a hospital for our small-pox patients ; 
but those which now issued from the banks and the 
shelter of bends in the banks were monstrous. The 
natives were in full war-paint, one-half of their bodies 
being daubed white, the other half red, with broad 
MWANA NTABA CANOE (THE CROCODILE). 
black bars, the tout ensemble being unique and diabolical. 
There was a crocodilian aspect about these lengthy 
vessels which was far from assuring, while the fighting 
men, standing up alternately with the paddlers, appeared 
to be animated with, a most ferocious cat-o’-mountain 
spirit. Horn-blasts which reverberated from bank to 
bank, sonorous drums, and a chorus of loud yells, lent a 
fierce eclat to the fight in which we were now about to 
<D 
be engaged. 
We formed line, and having arranged all our shields 
as bulwarks for the non-combatants, awaited the first 
onset with apparent calmness. One of the largest 
canoes, which we afterwards found to be eighty-five feet 
three inches in length, rashly made the mistake of sing- 
ling out the boat for its victim ; but we reserved our 
fire until it was within fifty feet of us, and after pouring 
a volley into the crew, charged the canoe with the boat, 
